Camping in Austin Creek SRA

CAMPING NOTICE AS OF NOVEMBER 11: Bullfrog Pond Campground and surrounding Austin Creek SRA, including all backcountry trails, are OPEN. We will not be taking camping reservations for December and January, but campers should have no trouble getting a walk-up site, even on weekends. Backcountry site will close during inclimate weather. Reservations are currently available for booking from February onward. To check availability and for more information, call Field Ops at 707-869-2015.

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Austin Creek State Recreation Area offers a 23 site campground and 3 back country sites.

PLEASE NOTE: From approximately October 5 through October 15 the water at Bullfrog Pond Campground will not be suitable for drinking but it is fine for washing and our facilities. Please bring drinking water with you.

FIRE BAN STATUS AS OF NOVEMBER 2, 2017:

With the upcoming rain and cold temperatures, the fire ban will be lifted in Bullfrog Pond Campground on Nov 3rd. The ban in the backcountry will remain until we get more sustained wet weather systems coming through.

All campers are required to sign a fire permit and agree to adhere to all campfire regulations.

Please be advised that fire bans can go into effect at any time due to dry weather conditions and can be lifted at any time. If you need to cancel your reservation for this reason, the $10 cancellation fee still applies.

Please be advised that the backcountry campsites are subject to closure due to heavy rain/inaccessibility issues. We recommend calling ahead to ensure availability.

Stewards is no longer accepting check payments. All camping fees must be paid by cash or charge ONLY.

For camping information or reservation changes call (707) 869-2015 (7 days a week, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM) or email camping@stewardscr.org. You can also use the Chat feature, located on the right side of every webpage, weekdays from 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM.

You Can Help!

You can help Stewards with a tax deductible donation. Camping in Austin Creek would not be possible without Stewards' efforts to enter into an operating agreement with State Parks to keep Austin Creek SRA open.

Bullfrog Pond Camping Information and Rules

Bullfrog Pond Campground is a campground where everyone is welcome. Be respectful of your fellow campers. Observing quiet hours between 10:00 PM and 6:00 AM will provide a comfortable place for all park visitors to enjoy a special wilderness camping experience together. Excessive alcohol consumption, poor behavior and failure to follow park rules can result in ejection with no refunds.

Bullfrog Pond campground is for tent or car camping. There are no hook- ups or trailer sites. Check-in time starts at 2:00 PM and check-out time is noon.

Our operation is adopting State Park regulations: Each campground has a limit of 7 consecutive number of nights a camper may stay. Once this consecutive night limit has been reached, the campground must be vacated, and no one in the party may return to camp in the same park for 48 hours. Campers may stay in the same park up to 30 nights in a calendar year.

Access to the campground is up a very steep, winding, one-lane road with two-way traffic. Drive slowly and carefully and remember that uphill traffic usually has the right-of-way. Utilize turnouts when necessary. Austin Creek and Bullfrog Pond campgound are closed to vehicles over 20 feet in length or to pulled trailers of any size.

Camping registration usually takes place at the entrance station of Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve. Otherwise, please self-register at the campground entrance using the self-pay station. You may also register with a camphost at campsite #4 if there is one on duty.

We now have a reservation system for Bullfrog Pond Campground. Some campsites are still first come, first serve. Reservations may be made at www.hipcamp.com at $35 per night per campsite. For more information, please call Stewards at (707) 869-9177 or email stewards@stewardscr.org.

The base camping fee is $25.00 per night. Seniors (62+), disabled and veterans by $20.00 per night. This includes up to 8 people in one site and one vehicle. One additional vehicles will be charged $8.00 per night.

Juveniles (under 18) must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Dog are allowed but MUST be on a leash at all times and confined at night. They are NOT permitted on trails or fire-roads to protect wildlife habitat.

There are 23 campsites and one camphost site (#4). There are flush toilets and drinking water; however there are no showers in the park.

Check the camphost site (#4) for hours of operation. Firewood, ice, fishing supplies and other camping amenities are available for sale. You may leave messages for fellow campers on the bulletin board at the site.

Fishing is permitted in Bullfrog Pond with a valid Fishing License. Swimming in the pond is not recommended.

The campground is subject to fire closure during the summer months.

Camping Facilities

Twenty-three family campsites are located near Bullfrog Pond. Campsites are available throughout the year on a first-come, first-served basis. Tables, fire rings, flush toilets and potable water are provided but no showers are available. Be advised that vehicle access to the park and campground is by way of a steep, narrow, winding, 2.5 mile-long, mountain road. For safety reasons, no vehicle over 20 feet in length is allowed on this road. Vehicles with trailers or other towed vehicles are also prohibited.

Back country primitive campsites are located at the Tom King and Manning Flat sites. Each campsite has a table and fire ring. Pit toilets are located nearby. A year-round stream is nearby, but this water supply must be purified before drinking. Use of a micro filter is recommended. The primitive sites are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. You will need a backcountry permit to camp in our primitive backcountry campsites.

You can purchase your backcountry permit from the Field Operations staff in the Entrance Kiosk or the Ranger Station from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM daily.

Ground fires are prohibited during periods of extreme fire danger. Camp stoves can still be used for cooking, except during the most critical periods of fire danger when camping is not permitted at all.

All of Austin Creek's trails are open to horses although horse trailers are not permitted beyond the picnic area. Check with the Operations staff at (707) 869-2015 for up-to-date information about trail conditions. A horse riding and pack station concession providing guided day and overnight trips is located 1/2 mile west of the Armstrong Tree in Armstrong Redwoods State park.

Horse rentals are available though a private company that is adjacent to Armstrong Redwoods. For more information contact the Armstrong Woods Pack Station at (707) 887-2939 or www.redwoodhorses.com.

Trails

Strenuous9 mile round trip: Austin Creek Trail is an unpaved service road that also serves as a trail, winding down the canyon through meadows and groves of forest as it drops from 1200' to 300' in elevation. After 4.7 miles, the road meets with Gilliam Creek Trail. A strenuous but spectacular day hike can be experienced by hiking down the Austin Creek Trail and returning via Gilliam Creek.

Strenuous4 miles one way: Gilliam Creek Trail is a narrow, steep trail that parallels Gilliam Creek as it winds through shaded oak woodlands. After close to 4 miles it meets the Austin Creek Trail at the confluence of East Austin and Gilliam Creeks. This trail is seasonally impassable at the lower elevations due to high winter water levels in Gilliam Creek.

Strenuous2.5 miles one way: Pool Ridge Trail gives you an opportunity to experience the dramatic contrast between the cool redwood grove below and the open forest and rolling hills above in Austin Creek SRA. The trail only drops 500' in elevation, however the upper portion is very steep. This trail can be used to access Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve. It can also be used as a loop in conjunction with the East Ridge Trail.

Moderately Strenuous4 miles one way: East Ridge Trail curves through the diverse and varied forests of Armstrong Redwoods and Austin Creek as it traverses the 1500' elevation between the park entrance and Bullfrog pond campground. It can also be used as part of a loop by hiking one way on this trail and returning via the Pool Ridge Trail.